A proposal to convert ODP/DMOZ to use Free Software has surfaced again and, in order to best present a case for it, I have found it helpful to do some research on how the current ODP hardware and software works. I'm creating links here to any information I find so that other can find it easily.

Forum discussion on the nature of the ODP/DMOZ backend. Some software and hardware info. Implication is that the backend is a giant, centralized system running on a single computer rather than the expected distributed system. The combination of a non-distributed system and a usage that has far exceeded the original design, probably account for many of the current problems.

Forum discussion about the backend data storage. Conclusion of the thread seems to be that ODP uses a combination of flat files, the Berkely DB for hash pointers, and Perl. skrenta points out that the current design would make distributing ODP across multiple servers hard.

tnt's bookmarks list forum discussions and other links to previous attempts at freeing the ODP software. It appears editors have been trying to get the source opened up since at least 1999 but it would appear a pretty big clue stick is going to be needed to make an impression on AOL/Netscape.

This is the only list I've been able to find of people who appear to be the staff of ODP. Both the "Chief Engineer" and the "Editor and Chief" claim not to have the power to open source the backend. I take this to mean there are more staff higher up still to be discovered.